The winning photo from the Show me your Valley photo competition was taken by Janco Joubert from Orma Boerdery.

The miracle element for growth is water. Everybody knows that. Unfortunately, rain can be unpredictable, and farmers need to find other solutions to water their crops. Many options exist, but one of the most effective, reliable, and profitable hassle-free solutions is a Valley pivot.

Janco Joubert is an enthusiastic young farmer from Orma Boerdery on his family farm in the Thabazimbi district. Orma Boerdery has been in existence for 23 years. The farm produces three types of grain and ten kinds of vegetables, but they also have pastures for cattle. They are well-known for their quality produce and sweet watermelons. On top of that, the farm has also started exploring game farming.

Thabazimbi is an arid region, and farmers like Janco rely on the Crocodile River for irrigation. Water is precious, and crops cannot afford to go without it, even for short periods. That is why Orma Boerdery relies on Valley for irrigating all their crops. There is no gambling; only the best is good enough.

The farm and Valley’s paths crossed when Orma Boerdery wanted to economically irrigate large areas. Valley’s excellent after sales service and their dedication to take care of farmers impressed Janco.

“Valley left deep footprints on our farm because it increased crop yields, made irrigation more lucrative, and uses less electricity and manpower. A Valley pivot quickly irrigates large areas, and you do not need to babysit it,”

declares Janco.

The first Valley centre pivot that Orma Boerdery erected in 2005 was a movable model that could be used on two different circles. Today there are four pivots on the farm.

“In my opinion, Valley’s structure stands out above the rest,” says Janco. “It is a strong structure with strong parts and it is good-looking too.”

Valley pivots hold many benefits for Janco’s farm. It irrigates crops quicker and more evenly without leaving dry spots or drowning rows of plants.

Janco still controls his pivots manually, but aims to switch to Valley’s Smart Irrigation Solutions which offer remote monitoring and control capabilities through his mobile phone (or any smart device), in the near future. “What I have seen about controlling pivots on your cell phone, it makes an astronomical difference. It is amazing to see what is possible with technology today. You can be any place in the world and still control the pivots on your farm.” He believes that Valley is focused on the future of agriculture as it shows in the way their pivots are becoming easier to use and operate by the day.

Janco’s Valley pivots look after him, and he looks after them, which is easy because they require so little maintenance. After every season, he thoroughly checks each pivot for possible problems. Where maintenance is needed, it is simple to rectify. “I believe everything is as good as you look after it,” says Janco.

Valley recently launched their “Show me your Valley” competition, which gave farmers the opportunity to show their creative skills through photographs of pivots. Janco posted one of his pivot photos on Facebook, and Valley encouraged him to enter the competition. Initially he hesitated, but after a week he took the chance and submitted the picture. Soon after that, Janco’s first pivot photo was announced the winner. “I think it is a brilliant initiative from Valley to offer something unique to farmers and photographers alike,” he said.

To Janco, farming is more than something you are born with; it is a lifestyle.

“There are definitely more than a handful of things that encourage me as a young farmer: my fingers in the soil and the scent of freshly tilled soil, fresh air, the roar of tractors, the dust from combines, Valley pivots over green crops, and of course, unforgettable sunrises over the mountains and sunsets over the horizon,”

Janco explains.

He knows that circumstances become tougher by the day, but encourages other young farmers to, just like he did, tackle obstacles by facing them head on … and with Valley you can only win!

Valley offers outstanding service to farmers across the country. To find out more, contact Francois Griesel at francois.griesel@valmont.com or 067-412-9089